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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rash — a series
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ground — the earth
  6. present — there
  7. pitch — completely
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. present — the time now
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — a position
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chair — a leader
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. ground — crushed
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com